Overview & Reviews

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?" That's the opening line of "Mercedes-Benz," a song most famously recorded by singer Janis Joplin in the early 1970s. The tune gently poked fun at materialism and our desire for the finer things in life. It's fitting that the renowned German marque figures prominently in the lyric. Mercedes-Benz has long been known for crafting vehicles that emphasize luxury and refinement. For many, its vehicles are sleek symbols of status, success and good taste.

In January of 1886, Karl Benz unveiled the world's first automobile, a three-wheeled vehicle dubbed the Benz Patent Motor Car. A few months later, Gottlieb Daimler and his chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach rolled out a four-wheeled vehicle powered by his Daimler engine. The first Mercedes was crafted in 1901, shortly after Daimler's death. Built by Maybach, the car was commissioned by Emil Jellinek, one of Daimler's primary distributors, and was ultimately named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

In 1926, the companies founded by Daimler and Benz merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, and the Mercedes-Benz brand was born. The company's insignia was a three-pointed star wreathed in a laurel; the star was dreamed up by Daimler years earlier, and its three points signified the fact that his engines were used in vehicles that traveled land, air and sea.

Right from the start, the Mercedes-Benz name was synonymous with automotive excellence. One of the automaker's earliest vehicles, the 1931 Mercedes-Benz 170, distinguished itself as the world's first production car to offer a technology that was nothing short of extraordinary for the day: four-wheel independent suspension. The '30s and '40s saw Mercedes establishing itself as the brand of choice for car buyers seeking the ultimate in luxury, thanks to coveted cruisers like the 380 and 540K.

The 1950s witnessed the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing," a sports car that has been described as being the world's first supercar. With its dramatic styling and race-bred technology, the 300 SL reigns today as a classic coveted by collectors worldwide. The decade also saw Daimler-Benz making strides in the area of safety technology. The company's Mercedes-Benz 220 sedans were the first vehicles to incorporate its patented "crumple zone" body design, created to absorb impact in the event of a crash.

In 1963, the company cemented its reputation as the home of automotive luxury with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 600. The elegant, luxurious sedan was also available as a limousine and featured an ahead-of-its-time air suspension system and a V8 engine that boasted 300 horsepower. The decade also saw the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. This full-size sedan went from zero to 60 in under seven seconds, distinguishing itself as the quickest luxury car is its day.

The 1970s saw the birth of the brand's storied S-Class line of vehicles, opulent sedans and coupes that coddled passengers with powerful engines and a long list of luxury features. The decade also saw Mercedes continuing on the cutting edge of safety technology, by being the first to offer antilock brakes in its vehicles.

Daimler-Benz's safety advancements continued in the 1980s. Its cars were the first to offer airbags and traction control. The manufacturer also raised the bar in terms of ride comfort and handling when it introduced multilink rear suspension. The technology debuted on the compact Mercedes-Benz 190 E, and it remains a vital component of the company's chassis engineering to this day.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles got an extra dose of power and performance in the 1990s, thanks to the manufacturer's partnership with AMG, a performance and tuning shop that was eventually purchased by the company to help produce ultra-high-performance versions of some of its vehicles. The first AMG model offered in the U.S. was the sporty C36 AMG in 1995; since then, Mercedes has gone on to offer an AMG-tuned version of almost all of its vehicles.

The company's current lineup is the most comprehensive in its history. With a variety of sedans, coupes, SUVs and roadsters filling Mercedes showrooms, it seems like the only thing missing is a pickup truck. Surely, the fact that Janis Joplin's song holds as much relevance today as it did four decades ago is a strong indicator that the brand's premier status is still very much intact.

User Reviews:

• 

  Solid upgrade - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lawman1967 - June 29 - 9:00 am

  I just traded my 2009 C300 Sport in for the new 2012 C250 Sport. In many ways, I thought this would be a downgrade, but in fact there is only one aspect of performance that was better with the old V6, and that is responsiveness in high-speed passing. Everywhere else, the new turbo 4 with the new 7GTronic + transmission seems to do a better job of keeping the less powerful though torquier engine in the meat of its powerband. The exterior of the car is subtly improved, while the interior received a major makeover, not that anything was wrong with the old one. The new COMAND nav/stereo is incredible.

• 

  CLS 500 evaluation - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Thomas Morales - June 29 - 5:26 am

  i enjoy the CLS500. It was exactly what I wanted. Speed, comfort, reliability, and styling. The exterior design is fabulous, and the interior is exciting. it is also fun to drive

• 

  The SL to own right now. - 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By TwoPynts - June 27 - 6:06 pm

  Drives like a dream with the looks and comfort one would expect from a high end Merc. I always feel like a million bucks driving this car. Great handling and easy to drive. What is not to like about this thing?!? With the latest body style now around for a few years, prices have really dropped on these cars and they are well worth the money. I for one love the stock stereo.

• 

  Fat Ride - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Baller - June 27 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE this car. Its a pleasure to drive and looks GREAT!!! This is a true example of you get what you pay for and you wont be dissappointed.

• 

  Just bought the 05 E320 CDI - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Dallas E Driver - June 27 - 10:00 am

  My god, I love this car. Ive only had it for 2 days, but you can just tell a winner. The car doesnt feel any different than a gas model. Very quite, lots of power. I just love it.

• 

  One great car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By windstar v - June 27 - 10:00 am

  Mercedes outdid themselves with this one. It is a pleasure to drive under all conditions.

• 

  I love it... - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By oakccor - June 27 - 10:00 am

  I traded in a SLK 32 AMG for this car. I was worried that I would have speed withdraw with this new car. To my suprise this car is still very fast. Engine is very strong all the way through the powerband. I believe its more powerful than the manufacturer claims. I love this car.

• 

  E500 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Charlie2 - June 27 - 10:00 am

  Excellant quality and workmanship

• 

  Pure class... - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Cheddars - June 27 - 10:00 am

  Oozes class...great feel..a precision swiss timepiece on wheels. I have the Sport model...its worth the extra money...everything you want in a vehicle...reliability and dealership have been great...E500 is quicker than my E320, but what I lose in a little speed I make up for at the pump with better MPG

• 

  iPod interface is lousy - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Clayton King - June 24 - 5:26 pm

  I love my C300 Luxury. However, I purchased the multimedia package and iPod interface. I sadly discovered the iPod cannot be controlled using the COMAND system and display on the popup screen. Instead you must use steering wheel controls. For a large music collection, this is completely cumbersome at the least, and it renders the multimedia COMAND controls completely useless. It would be easier to use a traditional patch cable and plug the iPod in to the AUX jack in the glovebox. This is really a bad design, and I would think a car stickering at 40K+ would do a better job. This is my only beef with my new car.